CHENEY, Wash. — The Eastern Washington football staff is at full strength as the team has found its coach for the defensive line. Head coach
Aaron Best announced the hiring of Michael Smith as the team's defensive line coach to solidify the defensive staff.
Smith brings 10 years of collegiate coaching experience to Cheney, working at both the FCS and FBS levels.
Most recently, Smith spent four seasons at Texas A&M-Commerce(2022-25) as the defensive line coach and assistant head coach. Smith's responsibilities included helping design the defensive game plan covering run-game defense, pass-rush, and pressure-package adjustments. He helped develop and implement an opponent-blocking scheme identification system.
While at Commerce, Smith coached two first-team All-Southland Conference players on the defensive line in Levi Drake and Celestin Haba. Both players entered the professional ranks as Drake was drafted in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and Heba plays for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL.
Assisting with the Lions' special teams, Smith installed the unit's field goal blocking unit. Smith also served as the team's recruiting coordinator during his tenure.
Before working at Texas A&M-Commerce, Smith coached the defensive line at Black Hills State University (2020-22), also serving as the team's special teams coordinator. Smith carried similar responsibilities at Black Hills State that he would take with him to Commerce. While on staff, Smith coached two All-RMAC Honorable mentions on the defensive line in Morgan Tigner and Jarrell Ganaway. He also coached first-team All-RMAC punter Jacob Parks.
During the 2019 season, Smith was a member of the University of Texas staff as the defensive quality control analyst.
Smith started his collegiate coaching career at Dordt College as the defensive line graduate assistant. He then moved to the University of New Mexico and spent two seasons (2017-18) as a graduate assistant in Albuquerque.
A collegiate athlete himself, Smith played at Rice University from 2008 to 2012. He helped the Owls to their first bowl win in 54 years, defeating Western Michigan in the '08 season.
Smith graduated from Rice in '12, double-majoring in Sports Medicine and Psychology. He then earned his master's degree in Sports Administration from New Mexico.
Eastern Washington began spring practice on Tuesday and will hold 15 total practices, leading up to the annual Red-White game on May 1 at 5 p.m. on Roos Field.
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Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
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